Swinging door



-Patenteil Apr. 2, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to swinging doors and has for an object to provide a simplified hinge and operating means therefor, which will permit the door to be swung open from either of the side lambs of the door frame. 1

A further object is to provide, in a swinging door of this type, simplified latching mechanism for controlling the operating means to prevent the door from being opened from both of the side lambs at the same time.

A still further object is to provide a door of this character which will be formed of a few strong simple and durable parts, which will be inexpensive to manufacture and install and which 16 will not easily get out of order.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, it being understood that various modifications may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claim without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of theinvention.

In the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a swinging door constructed in accordance with the invention,

'49 Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 5--5 of Figure 1 showing the latch in released position.

Figure 6 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 2 showing the latch in I operative position.

Figure '1 is a detail longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 1-1 of Figure 1 showing the handles and mutilated gear for operating the mechanism.

50 Referring now to the drawing in which like characters of reference designate similar parts in the various views, l6 designates side lambs of a door frame to each of which is secured hinge structures comprising a hinge plate H, which is .5 attached to the lamb by screws l2 and is provided with a'hinge eye 13. There are four of these hinge structures, two on each lamb. duplicates of each other, for mounting the door I comprising the subject matter of this invention, to swing from either lamb. The door I is pro- 5 vided with four hinge structures complementary to-those carried by the lamb and each comprising a plate l5 attached to the door by screws l6 and having aligned hinge eyes II which interilt with the single hinge eye l3 of the complementary 1o hinge plate ll of the door lamb.

A pair of rackbars it are mounted toslide vertically in recesses l9 located at opposite sides of, and close to, the vertical center of the door. Horizontal arms 20 are carried by the upper and 16 lower ends of the rack bars and are provided with respective hinge pintles 2| which engage the hinge eyes i3 and i! of respective hinge structures. Each pintle is withdrawn from the eye l3 carried by the door lamb when the respective 20 rack bar ismoved upwardly but never leaves the upper hinge eye ll of the companion hinge structure carried by the door. Thus the door is unhinged from one of the lambs to permit it to v be swung open on the hinge structure on the 25 other lamb as will presently be described.

A mutilated gear 22 is mounted on a shaft 23 which extends through the door and projects from opposite sides thereof between the rack bars l6. Handles 24 are secured to the ends of the shaft. The mutilated gear is provided at diametrically opposite points with teeth 25 which engage the teeth 26 of the rack bars. when the shaft 22 is turned in either direction, the mutilated gear will raise a corresponding one of the rack bars I! as best shown in Figure 2, to disconnect the hinge structures on one lamb of the frame and permit the door to be swung open on the hinge structures on the other lamb.

A leaf spring 21 is secured intermediate its ends by a bolt' 28 to the demand bears with its ends upon the rack bars 18. The spring is placed under tension as one of the rack bars is raised to return it to initial position, when the respective latch bar, about to be described, is released.

, Each latch bar 29 is secured at the lower end to the door by screws 3| or similar connectors and is provided at the upper end with a laterally directed tip end 32, which is normally retracted within the door but when the latch is in operative position projects from the door, as best shown in Figures 5 and 6. The latch is provided with a shoulder 30 intermediate its ends adapted to lodge underneath the upper horizontal arm 20 of a respective rack bar as shown in Figure 6 and disconnected hinge structures to hold the door closed.

From the above description it is thought that the construction and operation of the invention .will be fully understood without further explanation.

What is claimed is:

The combination with a door and door frame having separable hinges and hinge pintles connected to the door and door frame at both sides of the door, of a pair of rack bars disposed to slide vertically on opposite sides of and close to the vertical median line of the door, horizontal arms on the lower and upper ends of the rack areas" I bars connected to respective lower and upper pintles of the separable hinges for unhinging the door from one side of the frame, a shaft projecting at both ends from'the door between the rack bars,'handles on the ends of the shaft, a gear fixed to the shaft having gear teeth at diametrically opposite points engaging respective rack bars, a leaf spring secured intermediate its ends to the door and bearing at the ends upon respective rack bars, and resilient latch bars secured to the upper portion of the door near respective hinges, said latch bars having shoulders adapted to lodge underneath respective upper horizontal arms, said latch bars terminating in laterally directed tip ends adapted to engage the conventional stop on the door frame and push back the latch bars to dislodge the latch bar shoulder from the respective horizontal arm and permit the arm being moved by said leaf spring hold the door closed.

' AUGUST 0. RAPP.

. to connect the disconnected hinges to normally 20 

